Fair 69°
Police & Fire
1 Dead After Off-Road Vehicle Overturns In NJ 'Hidden Gem' Crystal Lake Popularized On TikTok 1 Dead After Off-Road Vehicle Overturns In NJ 'Hidden Gem' Crystal Lake Popularized On TikTok
1 Dead After Off-Road Vehicle Overturns In NJ 'Hidden Gem' Crystal Lake Popularized On TikTok One person died after an off-roading vehicle with four occupants overturned this weekend into a Jersey Shore lake that became popular on TikTok. Earlier this year, one person drowned at the same, privately-owned former mining property in Ocean County. The incident occurred Saturday evening, when the utility terrain vehicle overturned and became submerged in 25 feet of water -- James Grover, 62, still attached by his seatbelt, NJ.com reports. Grover was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities believe he drowned, the article says. Two other occupants and the driver were able to escape…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Feds: Paroled Jersey Shore Child Porn Collector Does It Again Feds: Paroled Jersey Shore Child Porn Collector Does It Again
Feds: Paroled Jersey Shore Child Porn Collector Does It Again A convicted Jersey Shore child porn collector was caught doing it again, federal authorities said Monday. Andrew Ramey, 34, of Brick, began trafficking images of "child sexual abuse and child pornography" via the BitTorrent Network in March, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Monday. A raid of Ramey's home on Friday turned up "multiple images and videos containing images of child sexual abuse, as well as BitTorrent software," on his cellphone, Carpenito said. Ramey, who already had a federal conviction for child porn possession, was arrested on charges of possession and distribut…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Feds: Second Reputed Mob Associate Admits Role In Jersey Shore Drug Operation Feds: Second Reputed Mob Associate Admits Role In Jersey Shore Drug Operation
Feds: Second Reputed Mob Associate Admits Role In Jersey Shore Drug Operation A Toms River man on Thursday became the second reputed associate of the DeCavalcante crime family to take a plea deal from the government in connection with a Jersey Shore drug bust. Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office discovered several ounces of coke during a warranted search of the home of Jason Vella, 39, in September 2019, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Also arrested in the takedown was Mario Galli III, 28, also of Toms River, who was sentenced in July to more than six plea-bargained years in federal prison for a pound of cocaine and a 9mm FEG Model PGK-9HP gun lo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Killed In Crash ID'd As Off-Duty Lakewood Police Officer, 23 Motorcyclist Killed In Crash ID'd As Off-Duty Lakewood Police Officer, 23
Motorcyclist Killed In Crash ID'd As Off-Duty Lakewood Police Officer, 23 A motorcyclist killed in a Jackson Township crash Saturday was an off-duty Lakewood police officer, authorities confirmed. Nicklas Shimonovich, 23 -- whose parents are both longtime members of the Lakewood Police Department -- died in a crash on Thompson Bridge Road sometime before 5 p.m., his department announced late Saturday night. Initial and unconfirmed reports say Shimonovich's motorcycle slammed into a tree around 4:45 p.m.  The off-duty officer was transported to Monmouth Medical Southern Campus, where he died a short time later. Shimonovich's father is Lt. Rob Shimonovich an…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Prosecutor: Man Who Torched Lakewood Home With 3 People Inside Charged with Attempted Murder Prosecutor: Man Who Torched Lakewood Home With 3 People Inside Charged with Attempted Murder
Prosecutor: Man Who Torched Lakewood Home With 3 People Inside Charged with Attempted Murder A Jersey Shore man set a Lakewood home ablaze with three people inside, said authorities who charged him with attempted murder. U.S. Marshals captured Jamal Preston, 25, of Egg Harbor Township on Monday and turned him over to local authorities to be charged with four counts of aggravated arson in the Aug. 22 fire on Park Place, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Monday. The occupants got out safely after the 2:30 a.m. blaze spread to the second floor and attic, responders said at the time. Billhimer said his Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad investigated along with the Ocean Coun…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Reputed Toms River Mob Associate Gets 6+ Years In Fed Pen For Pound Of Coke, Loaded Gun Reputed Toms River Mob Associate Gets 6+ Years In Fed Pen For Pound Of Coke, Loaded Gun
Reputed Toms River Mob Associate Gets 6+ Years In Fed Pen For Pound Of Coke, Loaded Gun A reputed Jersey Shore associate of the DeCavalcante crime family who was caught with cocaine and a loaded handgun is headed to federal prison for more than six plea-bargained years following his sentencing Thursday. Mario Galli III, 28, of Toms River, admitted in U.S. District Court in Trenton in March that he had the gun and drugs when detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office searched his and another home last September. Detectives seized nearly a pound of the drug and a 9mm FEG Model PGK-9HP gun loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition during the raids, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpeni…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Man Drowns In NJ 'Hidden Gem' Popularized On TikTok Man Drowns In NJ 'Hidden Gem' Popularized On TikTok
Man Drowns In NJ 'Hidden Gem' Popularized On TikTok A 23-year-old Plainfield man drowned at a former mining property in Ocean County, authorities said. The body of Edwin Caballero was pulled from Crystal Lake at the Heritage Mineral property in Manchester Sunday morning, Manchester Township police said. Several videos of Crystal Lake have been popping up on social video-sharing platform TikTok, calling the spot a "hidden gem." A Manchester Township police spokesperson warned, though, the water can be "very unpredictable and dangerously unstable." "Those entering the water will quickly realize that after taking a few steps in the soft, unsta…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
VIDEO: Watch As Banner Plane Crashes Into Ocean Off Surf City VIDEO: Watch As Banner Plane Crashes Into Ocean Off Surf City
Video: Watch As Banner Plane Crashes Into Ocean Off Surf City UPDATE: Video shows a banner-pulling plane crashing into the Atlantic Ocean just off the beach in Surf City on Saturday. Two lifeguards plucked the pilot from the water and brought him to the 13th Street beach to the cheers of sun worshippers on the sand. He appeared OK, they said, before an ambulance took him to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township. The plane hit the water off Long Beach Island shortly before 3:30 p.m. and quickly submerged, the witnesses said. "I saw the banner drop and heard it sputtering like it was out of gas," one of them wrote. "It was a little yell…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Banner Plane Goes Down In Water Off Surf City Banner Plane Goes Down In Water Off Surf City
Banner Plane Goes Down In Water Off Surf City UPDATE: Video shows a plane pulling a banner ad crashing into the Atlantic Ocean just off the beach in Surf City on Saturday. Lifeguards quickly plucked the pilot from the water and brought him to the 13th Street beach to the cheers of sun worshippers on the sand. He appeared OK, they said, before an ambulance took him to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township. The plane hit the water off Long Beach Island shortly before 3:30 p.m. and quickly submerged, the witnesses said. "I saw the banner drop and heard it sputtering like it was out of gas," one of them wrote. "It was a li…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Feds: Jersey Shore Man Busted With Child Porn Collection Feds: Jersey Shore Man Busted With Child Porn Collection
Feds: Jersey Shore Man Busted With Child Porn Collection Federal Homeland Security agents on Wednesday arrested a Jersey Shore man who they said collected child pornography. Agents began investigating Joseph J. Punderson, 31, of Island Heights after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Tracing emails and social media accounts, they learned that Punderson “received and possessed images and videos of child sexual abuse downloaded from the Internet,” Carpenito said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni ordered Punderson held without bail on charges of recei…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
CAUGHT! Jersey Shore Woman Sought In Wife's Killing Captured In Texas CAUGHT! Jersey Shore Woman Sought In Wife's Killing Captured In Texas
Caught! Jersey Shore Woman Sought In Wife's Killing Captured In Texas U.S. Marshals and FBI agents captured the 48-year-old Jersey Shore fugitive wanted in her spouse's killing, authorities said. Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus, 48, of Brick was apprehended Wednesday in Houston, Texas, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Brick Township Police Chief James Riccio said in a statement. Gavilanez-Alectus is wanted in connection with the death of Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus, 32, who was struck and killed by a wine container on Sunday, they said. Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus was ultimately tracked down in Texas and taken into custody by law enforcement in H…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
SEEN HER? Jersey Shore Woman Sought In Wife's Killing SEEN HER? Jersey Shore Woman Sought In Wife's Killing
Seen HER? Jersey Shore Woman Sought In Wife's Killing Authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of a 48-year-old woman from Brick Township in connection with Sunday's murder of her spouse, law enforcement officials said. Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus, 48, of Brick Township, was charged with killing Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus, 32, at their home using a wine container, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Brick Township Police Chief James Riccio said in a statement. Gavilanez-Alectus also was charged with possessing a weapon, they said. "It is our understanding that they were married,'' Bryan Huntenburg, a spokes…

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by Jon Craig